Synonyms of deceptive

deceptive

adjective

di-ˈsep-tiv 

1

as in misleading

tending or having power to deceive

in his deceptive answer about the vehicle's history, the salesman said that the used car had never been hit by another car

Synonyms & Similar Words

• misleading
• false
• deceitful
• deceiving
• incorrect
• specious
• ambiguous
• delusive
• beguiling
• fallacious
• inaccurate
• fraudulent
• delusory
• subtle
• deluding
• crooked
• cunning
• dishonest
• treacherous
• sneaky
• trick
• slick
• wily
• tricky
• puzzling
• perplexing
• artful
• duplicitous
• crafty
• shifty
• underhanded
• lying
• shady
• artificial
• wrong
• sly
• untrustworthy
• mendacious
• devious
• subtile
• confounding
• counterfeit
• distracting
• untruthful
• underhand
• insidious
• foxy
• forged
• fake
• evasive
• faithless
• bewildering
• guileful
• perfidious
• hypocritical
• bogus
• spurious
• trickish
• phony
• sham
• insincere
• ambidextrous
• knavish
• feigned
• dissembling
• circuitous
• fast
• equivocal
• sneaking
• jive
• defrauding
• backhanded
• double-dealing
• two-faced
• left-handed

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• straightforward
• forthright
• direct
• plain
• nondeceptive
• open
• frank
• straight
• candid
• outspoken
• aboveboard
• illuminating
• explanatory
• revealing
• truthful
• plainspoken
• revelatory
• clarifying
• openhearted
• honest
• trustworthy
• free-spoken
• foursquare
• elucidative

2

as in fraudulent

given to or marked by cheating and deception

a mail-order firm indicted for deceptive business practices

Synonyms & Similar Words

• fraudulent
• shady
• dishonest
• crooked
• false
• duplicitous
• fast
• rogue
• shifty
• underhanded
• underhand
• bent
• artful
• sharp
• deceiving
• guileful
• deceitful
• treacherous
• unscrupulous
• unethical
• subtle
• double-dealing
• unprincipled
• cunning
• unconscionable
• delusive
• beguiling
• slick
• wily
• slippery
• sly
• crafty
• sneaky
• insidious
• tricky
• cagey
• delusory
• devious
• furtive
• foxy
• perfidious
• deluding
• trickish
• defrauding
• sneaking

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• honest
• straight
• ethical
• honorable
• decent
• conscientious
• scrupulous
• just
• upright
• aboveboard
• straightforward
• forthright

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of deceptive

Trump filed the lawsuit in December seeking $10 billion in damages from the BBC, accusing it of defamation as well as deceptive and unfair trade practices. — ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026

But critics argue that many of these ads are purposefully created to be deceptive — especially deepfakes that seek to use someone else’s likeness and put words in their mouth. — Grace Hase, Mercury News, 14 Aug. 2026

The legal dispute over the Reese's pumpkins kicked off in 2024, when a lawsuit alleged that Hershey's ads for the candies were deceptive because the smiling pumpkin designs on the wrappers were absent from the actual candies. — Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026

It was revealed this week that the president published deceptive information last month, putting the lives of dozens in danger. — Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 13 Aug. 2026